Oregon · Hiking · Near Mount Hood Villages

Salmon Butte

Salmon ButtePhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)
10.2 mi
round trip
3,574 ft
climb
4,858 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Sep
best months

Is Salmon Butte open right now?

Alert in the area

The Forest Service lists 4 alerts for Zigzag Ranger District.

As of · Source: USFS · Zigzag Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

Salmon Butte is a hard hike in the Zigzag Ranger District of Mt. Hood National Forest in Oregon, managed by the Forest Service. The trail is about 10 miles long, and the one-way climb gains about 3,070 feet, with the high point at 4,858 feet. The route is out and back, and the steepest stretch comes at about 2.3 miles in, where the grade reaches 23%. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from the nearby Government Camp weather station show July and August highs around 70°F with only about four wet days a month, while winter brings highs in the mid-30s and rain on most days. The Salmon River hike starts less than a mile away, and Green Canyon Campground is about a mile off. Old Salmon River and the Salmon River Slab climbing area are both within 2 miles.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Green Canyon Cg

    Campground

    Campground · 1.1 mi from the trail
  • Eat after

    Subway

    Fast food

    Open after 6
  • If it rainsIan Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Philip Foster Farm

    Museum

    Museum · 21 mi from Mount Hood Villages

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0 (commons)

More in Mount Hood Villages

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Sep

    Best time to visit Salmon Butte

    Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      37° / 26°

      20 wet

    2. Feb

      38° / 26°

      17 wet

    3. Mar

      41° / 28°

      20 wet

    4. Apr

      45° / 31°

      18 wet

    5. May

      54° / 36°

      15 wet

    6. Jun

      59° / 41°

      10 wet

    7. Jul

      69° / 48°

      4 wet

    8. Aug

      70° / 48°

      4 wet

    9. Sep

      64° / 45°

      8 wet

    10. Oct

      53° / 37°

      13 wet

    11. Nov

      42° / 30°

      18 wet

    12. Dec

      35° / 26°

      21 wet

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Government Camp, OR, 9.9 mi away at 3,980 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

Salmon RiverPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Salmon River

~1 min drive

21.70-mile out-and-back trail on Salmon River in Oregon with 3,046 ft gain

Old Salmon RiverPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Old Salmon River

~2 min drive

3.80-mile out-and-back trail on the Salmon River in Oregon.

Bonanza Trail #786Photo: Sam Beebe/Ecotrust, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Bonanza Trail #786

~6 min drive

9.64-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 5,572 ft elevation gain/loss.

Castle CanyonPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Castle Canyon

~9 min drive

1.30-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 706 ft elevation gain.

Green Canyon Way #793APhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Green Canyon Way #793A

~4 min drive

6.06-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 4,084 ft elevation gain

Salmon MountainPhoto: OregonDOT, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Salmon Mountain

~5 min drive

3.20-mile out-and-back trail at Salmon Mountain, Oregon

Hunchback Trail #793Photo: niiicedave, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)

Hunchback Trail #793

~9 min drive

18.26-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 6,273 ft elevation gain

Wetlands TrailPhoto: Sheila Sund from Salem, United States, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Wetlands Trail

~11 min drive

Accessible out-and-back wetlands walk with excellent birdwatching and wildlife viewing.

COOL CREEKPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

COOL CREEK

~6 min drive

6.16-mile out-and-back trail in Oregon with 4,082 ft elevation gain and loss.

Flag MountainPhoto: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)

Flag Mountain

~7 min drive

3.80-mile out-and-back trail to Flag Mountain summit in Oregon.

Route details

Distance
10.2 mi round trip
Climbing
About 3,574 ft
Summit
4,862 ft
Difficulty
Hard
Time
About 5 hours

Questions about this route

How long is the Salmon Butte on Salmon Butte?

About 10.2 mi round trip.

How much elevation gain is on the Salmon Butte?

About 3,574 ft of climbing round trip.

How hard is the Salmon Butte?

It is rated hard.

How long does the Salmon Butte take?

About 5 hours round trip.

Conditions and forecast on Salmon Butte

Daily highs and lows, wind and the chance of precipitation at the summit and route start for the next 7 days, from the Open-Meteo model.